Pe Ell Man Charged for Alleged Immoral Communication With 12-Year-Old

A 19-year-old Pe Ell resident was charged this week after allegedly engaging in explicit conversations through text messages and photos with a 12-year-old girl.

Hayden Vonbargen, 19, of Pe Ell, made his first appearance out of custody Tuesday in Lewis County Superior Court on four charges of immoral communication with a minor.

He was granted $25,000 unsecured bail, cosigned by his parents, allowing him to remain out of custody pending future court hearings. He was also ordered to have no contact with minors or the victim.

His arraignment is scheduled for Thursday.

According to court documents, the Pe Ell Marshal’s Office responded on April 19 to a report of an adult male having sexually explicit conversations with a minor girl.

Officers discovered the messages occurred on dates between April 3 and April 18, 2017. Vonbargen and the girl reportedly knew each other from a youth group.

Court documents identify four dates in which the communication allegedly occurred, leading to the four charges.

In one message, Vonbargen states that he believes the girl was 13 or nearly 14. However, the date of the alleged communication and her birth date, confirmed in court documents, show the girl was 12 at the time, and has not yet turned 13.

In one of the four conversations identified, Vonbargen allegedly sent naked pictures of himself to the girl. In another conversation, he allegedly asked the girl to leave her house and meet him.